El Ciudadano
Original article: Día Internacional del Aire Limpio: La contaminación que no se ve en el aire empieza en las jaulas y los galpones
Each September 7th, we observe International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies, recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 to raise awareness about air pollution and promote actions to improve air quality.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds the recommended levels set by air quality guidelines, with both outdoor and indoor air pollution linked to millions of premature deaths each year.
Multiple Sources, One Problem
Air pollution has multiple sources: the burning of fossil fuels in transport, industry, and energy production; biomass burning; agricultural and livestock activities; and wildfires, among others. However, one source that often gets overlooked in discussions about air quality is industrial animal production.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), emissions from livestock—stemming from manure and digestive processes—account for about 32% of human-related methane emissions.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and within livestock production, its emissions mainly originate from enteric fermentation in ruminants and waste management.
The impact is not limited to air. The expansion of livestock production is closely tied to ecosystem transformation and deforestation.
In the Amazon, the expansion of pastures for livestock is one of the main drivers of forest loss. Various studies estimate that around 70% of previously forested land in the Amazon is now occupied by pastures.
The Link to Animal Confinement
Discussing air pollution without considering the impact of animal production systems misses a significant part of the issue. Intensive farming systems concentrate large numbers of animals in confined spaces, generating massive volumes of waste.
This is compounded by emissions from the animals’ digestive processes and waste management, contributing to the release of gases affecting both climate and air quality.
«When we talk about clean air, we almost never mention where much of that pollution comes from: millions of overcrowded animals raised in systems designed to maximize production,» noted Jesica Bon Denis, founder and executive director of Animal Interseccional.
This link is also a question of climate justice: communities living near intensive farming facilities—often the same ones facing other forms of social and environmental exclusion—are the first to suffer from polluted air, unpleasant odors, and the degradation of their surroundings.
«We cannot talk about clean air without discussing justice. It is the most vulnerable communities that end up living with the consequences of a production system that was not designed for animals, people, or the planet. Transforming these systems is also a form of repair,» concluded Bon Denis.
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